When we speak about reaping a harvest, many people immediately think of finances. This is a type of harvest, but there are other kinds. We need to be mindful that every day, we sow life or Death into every area of our lives. How do we do that? With the WORDS, we CHOOSE to speak. Proverbs 18:21 states Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Fruit speaks of something produced. Every day, we speak an abundance of words that are, indeed, producing SOMETHING in our lives. Are you happy with what is being produced in your life? Is there anything lacking?
The Word of God tells us in Isaiah 55:10-11 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the Earth, and making it produce and sprout, And providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; 11 So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the purpose for which I sent it. We see more concerning this in Jeremiah 1:11-12, 11 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.” 12 Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it.”
There is a spiritual law of seed, time, and harvest in motion on the Earth. It works for everyone on the planet regardless of religious beliefs, race, gender, etc. Genesis 8:22 says, While the Earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” So, this principle is in motion whether we are consciously aware of it or not. We know it takes no effort on our part for weeds to grow in our yards, flower beds, and gardens. Likewise, speak words filled with doubt, fear, unbelief, and Death, and the weeds will begin to grow. But we can speak words of life, the Words of God, and words filled with faith, and those words will begin to grow.
The growth comes from the Lord when we sow the Word of God. He is the One who causes the increase of the Word seeds we sow. When we are speaking the Word of God, we are speaking and choosing life. Our part is easy. We are in complete control over the words we choose to speak. We are also in complete control over the condition of our soil, our heart.
Mark 4:13-20, 26-29 And He *said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown, and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. 16 And in a similar way these are the ones sown with seed on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; 17 and yet they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution occurs because of the word, immediately they fall away.18 And others are the ones sown with seed among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 19 but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things enter and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.20 And those are the ones sown with seed on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundred times as much.”
26 And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil;27 and he goes to bed at night and gets up daily, and the seed sprouts and grows—how he himself does not know. 28 The soil produces crops by itself; first, the stalk, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. 29 Now, when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle because the harvest has come.”
The soil of our heart will produce whatever we sow into it. Sow Death and reap the harvests of that. Sow life and reap the results of those seeds. We do not have a right to complain about our harvests when we are the ones in control of the seeds we sow. Much of the time, when people are in the process of reaping their harvests (from negative seeds), they want to complain and say they are under attack. Harvest is harvest. It is only good or bad based on the seeds sown. If you don’t like strife, don’t sow strife. If you want finances, sow finances. If you desire friendship, sow friendship. Many people mistake negative harvests in their lives for attacks from the kingdom of darkness. We all have come under attack from the kingdom of darkness. Prayer definitely helps mitigate and stop those attacks. However, be mindful that no amount of prayer will be able to pray away your negative harvests that have manifested. So, if you take a good look at your life and see prayer isn’t changing what you are receiving, take a good look at seeds previously sown and be honest with yourself. Make the changes necessary and get some good seed in the garden. Purpose to cultivate the soil of your heart by keeping it with all diligence so you can bring forth a good harvest full of the blessings of God.
Learn more about this with our monthly special. How to Reap A Harvest, a teaching by Pastor Brad is our monthly teaching gift for those who sow into The Faith Connection in November.